Fortnite is finally coming to Linux thanks to Epic rebuilding Easy Anti-Cheat, though Steam Deck support is still in the wind

Epic Games has revealed plans to rebuild their anti-cheating software, Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC), to enable Fortnite to operate on Linux systems. This development comes after years of grappling with the challenges of preventing cheaters across all kernel configurations. However, it's important to note that Steam Deck support remains uncertain for the time being.

EAC has been supporting native Linux clients since 2014, but the recent effort involves a significant overhaul, leading to the creation of EAC Linux v2. Epic Games acknowledged that while Linux had supported Windows game builds via Wine/Proton since 2021, the level of protection offered on Windows was not matched on Linux. Consequently, Fortnite remained unavailable on Linux until now.

Cheating in online games has evolved from a small-scale issue to a billion-dollar market, with operators selling and updating cheat tools that require minimal technical expertise. Epic Games emphasized the importance of robust anti-cheat measures to prevent such issues from driving away players and making game development financially unsustainable.

EAC Linux v2 aims to bring the existing Linux support closer to the level of protection provided on Windows. It will leverage existing Linux features such as signed kernel, signed kernel modules, secure boot with attestation, measured boot, kernel lockdown LSM, and IOMMU support, along with Epic's own eBPF logic. However, these security features may not be available on every Linux distribution and may require configuration changes to activate.

The newly revised EAC will be tested in Fortnite before being made available to other multiplayer games. Developers who currently use EAC will have the option to continue using the older, more compatible implementation if they prefer. For those attempting to launch a protected game on a Linux system without meeting the necessary system requirements, an error message will appear, but no account bans or similar penalties will be imposed.

Despite the good news for Linux users, Epic Games confirmed that the Steam Deck does not currently support the required features for EAC v2. However, the company is actively discussing with Valve to explore future compatibility. Alongside the EAC news, Epic Games also unveiled a preview release of a feature-light version of the Epic Games Launcher, an openly coded storefront that now runs on Linux.